Phonograph-record



F. w. WALTHERS. PHONOGRAPH RECORD.

PPLICATIONv FILED APR. 28' I916.

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Patnted Feb. 24, 1920..

UNI n STATES PATENT OFFICE. FREDERICK W. WALTHElRS, OIE MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS F. LOCKNEY, OF SHARON, MASSACHUSETTS,

PHONoGRAPH REcoRD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24,1920.

iAppilcation filed April 28,1916. Serial No. 94,249.

Records, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

In the use of phonograph records, such as those of the ordinary disk type, it is often difiicult to readily position the needle or stylus of the sound box at the beginning of the record groove without some little time and trouble in preliminary or trial placingsand adjustments thereof, particularly when the phonograph is located in a dim light, or in the case of persons of poor'eyesight; this arising from the fact that the entire record including the grooved recording portion and the smooth marginal portion adjacent thereto is usually an even shade of dull or dead black, and the relatively fine grooves of the recording portion do not differentiate this portion sharply or distinctly from the adjacent smooth marginal portion Within .or without the recording area, 2'. 6., there is no clear or sharply defined line that is at all conspicuously visible between the recording area of the record and the adjacent smooth marginal portion. The prime object of the present invention is to provide an improved type of phonograph record wherein a sharp and distinct line of demarcation between the recording or grooved surface of the record and the adjacent marginal smooth surface is established, that will be conspicuous and readily observed even in an obscure light or without close inspection, so that a user can instantly and without any close care or preliminary trials, locate the recording stylus precisely at the beginning of the recording grooves. To this end I produce the record with its smooth marginal area within or without the limits of the recording grooves, or both, of a color contrasting sharply and distinctively from that of the recording or grooved portion. The invention will be'better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be thereafter pointed out in the appended' claim.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a record produced in accordance with my invention, showing both the outer and inner smooth marginal portions distinctively colored;

Fig. 2 is a similar view on a smaller scale showing only the inner smooth marginal portion distinctively colored; and I Fig. 3 is a similar View showing'only the outer smooth marginal portion distinctively 6 colored.

The phonograph record 10 is shown as of the usual disk type, though it is to be understood that this is merely illustrative and the invention is quite as well adapted for use with other types of records such as the cylindrical type. This record has the usual annular grooved area 11 constitutlng the recording surface and extending from near the peripheral edge to a point well toward the center. In accordance with my invention the smooth peripheral marginal portion 12'surrounding the grooved area and extending therefrom to the peripheral edge of the record is colored in any suitable manner so as to be sharply and distinctively in contrast to the color of the grooved portion, thus establishing a Well defined line of demarcation 13 between the grooved area and the ungrooved margin to indicate conspicuously precisely where the recording groove begins. This contrasting coloring of the peripheral marginal portion is em ployed especially with those kinds of records where the recording stylus starts at the peripheral portion and progresses inward toward the-central portion of the record. I may also provide the sameor equivalent distinctive and contrasting coloring for the inner smooth marginal portion just within the inner limits of the recording area as indicated at 14, so as to establish a sharp, well defined line 15 to indicate where therecord ends in those kinds of records where the stylus progresses inward, this distinctive coloring of the inner marginal portion being in such case useful for setting the stylus in connection with the automatic stop devices employed with certain types of machines. In Fig. 2 I show a form of record 10 where only the inner smooth marginal portion 14 is distinctively colored in contrast to the recording portion 11, this being well adapted 'for use with records where the stylus starts from the central portion and progresses outward as in the well known Path record. In Fig. 3 a form is shown wherein only the peripheral smooth marginal portion 12* is distinctively colored in contrast from the recording portion 11* this form being adapted in cases where the stylus starts from the periphery and progresses inward of the record, and where there is no provision for setting with reference to an automatic stop desired. It will of course be understood that even though use may be made only of the distinctive coloring at either the peripheral marginal portion, or the inner marginal portion, 6. 9., in cases where the stylus is initially set at the periphery of the record to progress inward and there is no automatic stop on the machine, it may still be desirable for presenting an attractive appearance and to make the record usable on other machines, to have the inner marginal portion also distinctively colored; i. 0., both the inner and outer smooth marginal portions may be distinctively colored as indicated at 12, 14, to contrast sharply with the recording area of the record, whether it be desired to make use of such distinctive coloring only at one or both of such marginal portions. It will also be understood that the described distinctive and contrasting coloring between the recording area and the marginal portions of the record is relative and that any desired contrasting coloring between the recording and the non-recording portions of the record may be adopted. For example, the recording or grooved area of the record may be left dead black as usual and the marginal portions may be colored red, or the grooved recording area may be colored either red or some other attractive color, and the smooth marginal portions may be left black, or both the grooved area and thesmooth marginal portions may each be colored so that neither will be black, but present any desired properly harmonizing, but sharply contrasting, colors. The contrasting coloring described may be produced on the record in any desired manner either by chemical treatment so as to impregnate the body of the record to some little extent, or by merely painting the surface or otherwise as found most convenient.

I do not desire to be limited to the precise structural embodiment herein exhibited, but refer to the appended claim rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A phonograph record, having a marginal portion thereof borderin the recording area colored to contrast sharply with the color of the recording area, and establish a well defined line at the limit of the recording area, said marginal portion being a continuation of the plane surface of said recording area.

In testimony whereof,I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK W. WALTHERS. 

